Chapter 20
HOW RUMORS START
“Hey,” Blaze said when he saw Arden late Monday morning. “I didn’t know you were in the ER.” He noticed her when he was changing patients.
“Actually,” she said, moving closer, “I really wasn’t. I was talking to someone in the waiting room while they waited for their father to be admitted, but thought if I walked through on my way back to my office I might catch sight of you.”
He lifted his eyes, saw Maddy watching but didn’t care all that much. “And you did.”
“Are you picking up more shifts this week before you come back on Saturday, or don’t you know yet? I thought you might have taken today off after the wedding yesterday.”
“Right now, no. Unless something happens, they are all covered and that’s fine with me. The wedding was done by six, and everything cleaned up by eight. We didn’t let Clay and Meredith do any of it, so I stayed to help there.”
He couldn’t explain how touching it was to see his grouchy older brother get tears in his eyes watching his bride walk toward him before they stated their vows.
Then it was a party for all. A relaxed environment because Clay was the least fancy person he knew, even though Meredith was all sunshine and rainbows.
And though he could have taken today off also, he just told himself he wouldn’t pick up extra this week.
He had a few things he needed to do in his place while he had the chance. Ash was going to come and help and he could visit with his youngest brother.
Arden dipped her head down, looked around and then back to him, her smile bright enough that his was matching it. “I won’t get to see you then if I sneak down.”
“You can sneak down after hours to say hi with Gracie.”
“I can. I might. You could do the same too. She really likes you.”
“I like her too,” he said. “Maybe a walk one night while she rides her bike? No worries about me working late since I’m off.”
“I’d like that. And you need to get back to work before you get backed up. Now we know why people say the ER is slow.”
“It’s not for this reason,” he said, his hand just itching to reach for hers, but he knew better. Not here. Not yet, at least.
“I know, just picking on you. If you had your way, you’d get them in and out as quickly as possible.”
“Always. Have a good rest of the day if I don’t talk to you again.”
They probably wouldn’t, no matter how much he wanted to reach out.
He hadn’t yesterday but sent her a text when he had a minute on Saturday to check on her. To see if she was hanging in there.
The last thing he wanted was her to regret opening up to him, letting him see her insecurities and vulnerabilities.
Or maybe it had more to do with him not wanting to regret opening up just as much and wanted to get an idea of what she’d thought of it.
She’d replied to him hours later, she’d been running around with Gracie outside playing, then sent him a picture. Just Arden and Gracie close up sticking out their tongues. He’d bet that wasn’t like her, but enough that it gave him a hint that she was doing better.
Or was just great at hiding it.
Saturday at least, he’d heard them outside playing and running around when he was sitting on his patio before he’d gone to dinner with the rest of his family and the wedding party.
He caught sight of Gracie once going past the fences, but she hadn’t seen him.
He’d waved though, trying to get her attention.
Kind of smacked of desperate to him after, sitting there pining for Arden and her daughter’s attention.
For a guy that’d never been clingy a day in his life, he might be bordering on it.
But he kept telling himself it was more than that.
He wasn’t so sure how he felt about this woman who’d sent the gift to Gracie without Billy even knowing.
He wanted Tina’s last name, but even Arden hadn’t known it and she said she wouldn’t ask or bring it up again until she saw Julie for the visitation on Saturday.
He watched her walk out the doors, and he went back to his patients.
An hour later, he was at the nurse’s station. Maddy, Erika, and Steven were at their stations and typing notes also. It wasn’t so busy he couldn’t stop, especially with Maddy waving him over.
“Yes, Maddy,” he said.
“I haven’t chatted with you lately. And then you won’t be back until Saturday by the looks of it.”
“Not unless someone else isn’t around or needs to change,” he said.
Maddy still had a massive grin on her face. “Not even hoping to see Arden again?”
He laughed. “I don’t take shifts for the off chance of that.”
“What’s going on with you two?” Erika asked.
“Not much,” he said.
“Doesn’t seem it to us,” Maddy said. “Not just the three of us, but others have said it too. That you two are talking a lot and not just seen at lunch together a few times.”
“Twice,” he said. “I’m hardly in there and only once did we sit together. I hadn’t realized so many people were watching me.”
“A hot young man like you,” Steven said. “Everyone is watching.”
“Don’t get your boyfriend jealous,” he said to Steven. “He’s bigger than me.”
Steven wiggled his shoulders. “I like them big.”
He didn’t want to blush with the way Steven’s gaze was moving over his chest, but he might not be able to control it.
“Arden and I are friends. I told you she lives by me. Her daughter rides her bicycle around our area so I see them out at night.”
Not really a lie.
“And you’re making them feel welcome,” Erika said. “That’s nice. I had a boyfriend once a few years ago like that. Always out extending himself to anyone who needed it. Such a great guy.”
“What happened with you two then?” Maddy asked. “If he was that great?”
Erika shrugged. “It didn’t work out. He’s not around anymore.”
“You don’t think Toby is great?” Steven asked. “You talk about him like he is.”
Erika waved her hand. “He’s good. Just different. No one can be the same as the next. But I loved that quality in my ex. Just can’t seem to find it anywhere else. You know, that fierce protectiveness, even for strangers.”
Blaze grinned over that description. “Not so sure about that. I come across strangers daily and don’t need to make friends with them.”
Erika’s eyes held his, then she nudged his arm. “You know what I mean. I bet you love kids too and it has more to do with that.”
He looked at Steven and Maddy hanging on his next words. “I need to get back to my patients,” he said.
“We are just having fun with you,” Maddy said. “You know that.”
“I do, but I also know how things travel in this place.”
He moved aside with his laptop to listen to their laughter. He said without words more than he wanted to.
In the afternoon, he was back at the desk, no one around but Maddy typing into her computer.
She lifted her eyes to his. “Are you mad at me for bringing up Arden’s name?”
“No,” he said. “Why would you say that?”
“You left quickly and have been quiet. It’s not that busy in here today. Nothing more than normal.”
Shelly was walking by, almost slowing her pace as if she wanted to listen in, but Maddy sent her a glance to keep moving.
“Not mad in the least. Don’t think that.” He looked around but didn’t see anyone close by for the moment. “I’m not sure what is going on with me and Arden, but I know how rumors start and I’d like not to get caught up in them too much.”
“Then you shouldn’t be seen talking to her at work,” Maddy said, winking. “But ignore everyone. Shelly, she’s always looking for gossip, the same with Steven. Erika is just looking for the perfect guy. She sees or hears things and hopes her boyfriend gets it or compares. Everyone is harmless.”
Harmless or not, he didn’t want to get caught up. “I talk to many people at work,” he argued. “Even you. No one is saying that there might be something between the two of us.”
“You couldn’t handle me,” Maddy said. “You might want to try, but I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.”
Yep, there went the blush. Maddy was about five two, a good thirty pounds overweight, a mixture of black and gray hair with an attitude to put the toughest patient in their place.
She loved to bust his balls more than most and he was good with it because she had a heart of gold and was in his corner giving him support from his first day on.
“You scare me,” he said. “You’re right, I couldn’t handle you.”
“Bet you can handle Arden just fine. Or more like she can handle you. I see how you smile at her. How she returns it, then you both put on your boss face and get to work. That’s the thing people notice.”
“Huh?”
“Blaze. It’s not that you’re seen together talking. It’s about the looks you both have. The softness that you only show when you’re dealing with kids. Not even scared patients. Though you’ve got patience, you don’t get all soft and squishy like you do with kids.”
“I like kids,” he said.
“We know. And now there is a single mom with one who is close to your house.”
“How do you know she’s single?”
“Because she doesn’t have a ring on and you’d never put anyone in a position where rumors could start unless there is a possibility of something more. It goes back to what Erika said about being protective. You’d shield her by being distant if she was married.”
There was no use arguing what was true.
“Can you do me a favor then?”
“You want me not to start the conversation like I did today?” Maddy asked.
He pointed his finger at her, sent her a charming smile and then turned back to his patients to her laughter.
Again, gave it all away without words, but it was the best he could do.